Today we would like to introduce you to Jai Cook:

Jai Cook was born in Kentucky, where she was raised in foster care, due to her biological parents not being able to properly care for her. Jai’s environment while in foster care wasn’t the best, as she was bullied in school, suffered from self-loathing, and was a victim of unspeakable abuse. Jai reveals at a pivotal point in her life when she was ready to give up, she became a mother and vowed to be a better mother to her child than her foster mother was to her. Unfortunately coming from an environment of hardships, Jai didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up until she became a College Career Advisor in 2013.

As a College Career Advisor, Jai counseled students from marginalized communities and was able to relate to their situations. Jai helped students overcome obstacles by helping them reach their educational and career goals. In 2013, Jai found her true calling in Career Development and obtained her certification as a Professional Resume Writer and Certified Career Coach from the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. 

With a clear vision for her life and helping others reach their true potential through social, economic, and career empowerment, Jai founded Jai Consulting LLC, in Charlotte, NC in 2017. Jai Consulting LLC’s mission is “Connecting People to Their Purpose.” Clients of Jai Consulting LLC can navigate through life’s hardships, identify obstacles in their way, and create realistic goals to live a better life.  Jai is known nationally and internationally as Jai The Resume Doctor.

Why the Resume Doctor? Think about the last time you booked an appointment with a primary care physician. Often people talk about their physical and mental health being essential to living a stress-free life and visit their doctor to achieve this. While on the other hand, their career health is usually neglected. According to an article by NBC News, half of Americans are not happy and less engaged with their job. A doctor is defined as a qualified practitioner of medicine. Jai The Resume Doctor is a qualified practitioner of career coaching! Jai The Resume Doctor will check your Career-Pulse and give a career diagnosis based on the symptoms found. The four common career symptoms that clients of Jai The Resume Doctor experience, which cause unhappiness at work are, high-cost rewards are no longer offered, a hostile workplace environment, code-switching, and poor leadership. When was the last time you did a Career-Pulse check?

With every success story, there is a great person who has endured some pain. On December 18, 2019, seven days before Christmas, Jai was let go from her generous salaried Corporate job. It was on that day, Jai decided to take her years of treating her business like a “side hustle” and do her own Career-Pulse check, and has never looked back. To date, clients of Jai The Resume Doctor have earned six-figure salaries without having a college degree. 

As the CEO of Jai The Resume Doctor, Jai can connect with clients who feel undervalued at work and underappreciated. She took the pain of her job loss and turned it into her full-time calling of Resume Writing and Career Development. Jai The Resume Doctor is celebrating her 10th anniversary as a Certified Professional Resume Writer. Along with her CPRW credentials, Jai holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from her alma mater the University of Kentucky, is a Motivational Speaker and has been featured on several media and print outlets, WJZY Fox 46 Charlotte, the Life Section of the Charlotte Observer newspaper, WPEG Power 98 FM- “No Limit Larry Morning Maddhouse”,  and in The Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches magazine. 

Jai has been aiding people with their career burdens through resume writing and connecting people with jobs that are the best fit for them. Her business is thriving like never before and she is exceeding her expectations. Jai’s advice to any job seeker or entrepreneur reading this article, life is meant to be lived, not merely exist. 

We had the pleasure of sitting down with CEO Jai Cook to discuss the inspiration behind her well sought after brand, career obstacles, and keys to overcoming imposter syndrome:

Can you share with us the inspiration behind creating Jai The Resume Doctor? 

The inspiration behind creating Jai The Resume Doctor happened in 2019 when I was let go from my corporate job. I found myself performing my own Career-Pulse check and I was angry! I like half of Americans, stayed at a job I was unhappy with, sacrificed my mental health, and settled.  It was with this motivation that I created a company that helped job seekers nationally and internationally live stress-free lives in their careers. 

Why the Resume Doctor? Think about the last time you booked an appointment with a primary care physician. Often people talk about their physical and mental health, which is essential to living a stress-free life. Jai The Resume Doctor checks your Career-Pulse. A doctor is defined as a qualified practitioner of medicine. Jai The Resume Doctor is a  qualified practitioner of career coaching!

What career obstacle did you overcome as an African-American Woman in Corporate America? 

For more than 10 years, I have worked in male-dominated non-BIPOC environments and had to code-switch to fit in, this was mentally exhausting. I was often questioned about my credentials and my career tenure. I was always the only one who looked like me and talked like me. I never took my career for granted and made sure that when I walked into a board room, I showed up as my authentic self, paving the way for others to follow. It was not only important to educate employers on diversity in the workplace, but more importantly, to understand from their perspective why they didn’t think diversity was important. At the end of the day, sometimes we lack understanding because we are not willing to have uncomfortable conversations.

In 2013, you transitioned into Career Development. What motivated this shift, and how has it impacted your mission of empowering others?

As a Career Advisor, I counseled students from marginalized communities and was able to help them upskill themselves in the trade, technology, and medical industries without having a college degree.  In 2013, I found my true calling in Career Development and obtained my certification as a Professional Resume Writer and Certified Career Coach from the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. 

Jai Consulting LLC focuses on connecting people to their purpose. Can you tell us more about the #DoingMe empowerment platform, and how it addresses various aspects of women’s lives? 

The #DoingMe empowerment platform permits women to not apologize for being who they are. Often in society, especially for African American women we are taught being strong is weak and being confident is arrogant. The #DoingMe platform encourages women to show up strong, powerful, and unmovable in their personal, financial, professional, and mental lives, and never apologize for being who they are. 

As “Jai The Resume Doctor,” how do you leverage your expertise to help job seekers navigate the challenges of the job market?

I educate job seekers on the purpose of a resume, how to craft a storytelling resume that can pass an applicant tracking system, and how to leverage their accomplishments to be the sought-after candidate. A  recruiter will only spend 7 seconds scanning an applicant’s resume. The purpose of a resume is to land a job interview. If a resume is not crafted uniquely for each job, the jobseeker will never land an interview, which will hinder them from getting a job. 

How do you overcome imposter syndrome in your coaching sessions and workshops, helping students and clients build confidence in their career pursuits?

The reason I became a Certified Professional Resume Writer, was to help job seekers see the potential I see in them. My background in agency, corporate, and college recruiting,  has helped me to understand how to help job seekers get a job interview and the key component was their resume. Most job seekers who use my services have been passed over for a promotion, and don’t feel valued by their employer. They have been feeling this way for many years, so I help them to see the glass as half full, and they realize they do have the skills. As a victim of bullying and self-loathing in middle and high school, I never thought I was smart enough. Now as an adult, I realize, I was more than enough, I just needed to surround myself with people who saw my value despite my circumstances. Every time I write a resume for my clients, I not only see my client’s potential but also my potential in life as that little girl growing up. 

What advice do you have for individuals facing adversity in their careers, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic? 

My advice is, career pivot into an industry you have always wanted to do. I promise you have transferable skills from your current career that will help you be competitive among other job seekers. Do your research on that industry, read books, find a mentor who is in that profession, and ask for advice. If you are unable to work in the industry you want right now, it is ok to work in the meantime in customer service jobs such as Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats. Why you may ask? These jobs will help you sharpen your customer service, problem-solving,  time management, and communication skills which are needed in any industry. Also, you can make money while you are in your career transition. When I lost my salaried job in 2019, I was an Instacart Driver and made an average of $700 weekly. I was able to pay my bills, network, pass out my resumes to my deliveries, and not allow depression to take over. The key to success is to keep moving, just keep moving.

What is your definition of a Pretty Woman Who Hustles?

My definition of a Pretty Woman Who Hustles is a woman who is not afraid to take off her makeup, her safety net, to get real with other women and show them how she made it, ugly face and all. A Pretty Woman Who Hustles is a woman who can hustle in designer clothes, but is willing to wear off-name-brand clothing to help other women reach their true potential in life. The definition of hustle in business is, “to identify your primary aim in business or life and to take relentless action toward those desires.” I am ready to relentlessly hustle my business to open doors for other women!

 Connect with Jai The Resume Doctor Online

Social Media 

Instagram @JaiTheResumeDoctor

Website www.jaiconsultingllc.com

Email: Info@jaiconsultingllc.com

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